No. 52: Huarache de Carnitas at El Paraiso

A meal at El Paraiso feels as if you're a guest in someone's home. The same staff is always there and always hard at work in this Salvadorian kitchen no matter what time of day, forming pupusas, shredding cabbage for curtido and pouring steaming bowls of caldo. Hardly a lick of English is spoken in the joint, and with the TV providing the background chatter you suddenly forget you're in South Orange County.

Pupusas are mandatory, as are most other Salvadorean staples here, but that doesn't mean you should overlook an item because of it's Mexican origin. At El Paraiso, Mexico City's shandal-shaped sprawl of masa 'n' stuff known as the huarache receives proper treatment with a few Salvadorean touches. The foundation of the huarache varies from place to place--some come tortilla-thin and others nearly sope-thick. El Paraiso's corn crust is fairly soft, nearly as wide as the plate and flattened sheet-thin. A paste of pinto beans is smeared across the entirety with a buffet of toppings to anchor the dish. Lettuce, cucumber and radish provide crunch; small hunks of tomato lend a burst of cool freshness.

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Both help to lighten up a dollop of yogurt-dense, pink-hued Salvadorian crema and a heavy sprinkle of milky Monterey Jack. The savory richness of tender braised pork and salty globs of fat is matched by an acidic, watery red hot sauce that goes great with the pupusas, too.Ordering Mexican at a Salvadorean spot could have been a miss, but this huarache comes through.